24 The Longest Yard
by PinkPenguin18
Summary: *SPOILERS TO EPISODE 7-14* A story following Day 7. AU as of episode 7-14. Full summary inside. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Welcome! This is my 3rd**** advancement into the world of 24 fan fiction, and I've got so many ideas floating around that I decided just to go for it.**

**This was going to be my version of Day 8, but I decided against it. It's just a random story! **

**For the record, there will be Day 7 spoilers up to and including episode 14 (9pm-10pm). Please remember, if you are leaving any comments, that the UK are a week behind the USA, so avoid any recent spoilers so as not to ruin it for me if you can! EDIT: Seen episode 7-18? My story will ignore everything that happened there!**

**I've decided not to do the 'hour per chapter' thing, as much as it is realistic to the show. The pacing wouldn't be quite right. I hope you don't mind!**

**All characters etc belong to Fox. British drama pales into insignificance in comparison. **

* * *

_**Day 7 ending summary**_

_Jack, Tony, Chloe, Renee, etc all successfully halt the bio-threat posed by Hodges and his men. Larry Moss, remorseful for how he treated Jack, manages to cut a deal for Jack and Tony - they are to be released but not given immunity. Effectively, they are fugitives but will, under the radar, be allowed to live 'normal' lives, meaning there is no police manhunt for them._

_This story takes place approximately 6 weeks after the end of Day 7._

* * *

"_It's another glorious summer day here in D.C. as the warm weather current drifts over from the west-coast. Expect clear skies until mid-afternoon, when a band of cloud will begin to cover much of Washington state, the possibility of light showers by early evening. Temperatures in the region of 35 degrees Celsius, that's 100 degrees Fahren-"_

Tony Almeida shut off the engine of his car, the radio stopping abruptly mid-weather forecast. He clicked off his seatbelt and opened the door, slamming it shut as he absent-mindedly surveyed the surrounding area behind large black sunglasses.

Washington D.C. was busy again. It was to be expected with weather like this; already the kids were out in force, creating a wall of innocent chatter and laughter blocking out the sound of rush-hour traffic. Tony ran a hand through his now longer hair and brushed his fingers over his clean-shaven chin. He looked around him again before spotting a small blue Citroen pull up at the south end of the car park. He chuckled to himself as he headed slowly across the hot tarmac.

Stepping out of the blue Citroen was a slightly-overweight, stubble ridden Englishman by the name of Morris O'Brian. He was waving his hands adamantly, seemingly deep in argument with his brunette wife, Chloe O'Brian, as she emerged from the passenger seat. Tony approached cautiously, but with amusement, as the pair locked the Citroen and continued to argue. Morris did like his European cars.

"Where's Prescott?" Tony interrupted, earning a small scowl from Chloe but a relieved smile from Morris, "I thought you were bringing him?"

"He's not very well," Chloe piped up, still looking in a terrible mood, "Morris fed him something he shouldn't have, we left him with his childminder at home."

Morris retorted in argument as Tony lifted an eyebrow with a smile. The pair continued to bicker as Tony silently led them towards the small, family-run café that had become a staple meeting spot for the old friends.

They turned the corner of the small Washington park, the small café in sight. Tony scanned the tables outside the café, all being served by young women in black outfits. The tables were occupied by businessmen reading papers and drinking coffee or young mums trying to keep their toddlers in check. On one table right in front of the door, however, Tony spotted who he was looking for.

Jack Bauer was leaning forward slightly over what looked like a small glass of cranberry juice. His large brown sunglasses covered his eyes, but his forehead was crinkled into a small frown as he clasped his fingers together in front of him. He took a small sip of his juice before continuing to stare over at the park full of children.

Jack was still trying to come to terms with everything that had happened 6 weeks ago, as well as the years before that. He had taken Bill Buchanan's death very hard, blaming himself for not making the decision to blow the C4 sooner. He had not spoken to Kim since returning from China, as far as she was concerned, he was being held in a prison thousands of miles away. He detested living the semi-secretive, semi-normal life he and Tony had to live, haunted by the memories that plagued him and unable to adapt to a regular lifestyle. That is part of the reason Tony, Chloe and Morris decided to make their Friday morning visits to this café a regular occasion; hopefully it would allow all of them to try and get back to normal.

Jack looked up and around him as the trio were approaching, catching Tony's gaze from across the way. He smiled slightly and lifted a hand into a lazy wave. Tony smiled back and continued to head towards the white patio table, leaving Chloe and Morris arguing slightly further behind.

Tony approached the café.

Jack stood to greet them.

And then…

A large flash of white light blinded all who were there, and a deafening screech filled the air. Tony was blown backwards upwards of 50 feet by a pulse of heat as the café exploded in a ball of orange and red flames. His head collided with the pavement violently, sending a stinging pain echoing through his body.

His ears were ringing and everything was hurting, but Tony's instincts took over as he rolled onto his front. He reached up with a tentative hand to fling away his now-broken sunglasses and slowly pushed himself to his feet. He staggered forwards slightly, trying to regain his balance, away of a steady stream of blood dripping down his left cheek. He squinted through his blurred vision; people were screaming and running for help. He spotted Chloe and Morris pushing themselves to their feet, mentally relieved that they were far enough behind him so as to escape the blast.

This thought stopped Tony in his tracks.

"Jack…"

The ex-CTU agent turned slowly on the spot to gaze at the café. A large black cloud of smoke billowed from the large fire that had erupted from the main building. People were strewn all across the floor; Tony flinched as he saw an empty pram just to his right. Right in front of him, however, was something Tony wished he didn't have to see.

Jack was lying face down on the tarmac, one hand resting beside his head. It looked as if he was sleeping, but the large red-stained singed clothing that stuck to his back suggested otherwise.

"Jack…no…" Tony ran to his friend's side and pressed two fingers to his neck. Nothing. "Shit…"

Tony turned Jack over onto his back quickly, double taking when he saw the open eyes of his best friend, and began to administer CPR in an attempt to resuscitate him.

"Jack, you son of a bitch…"

Tony continued to pound at Jack's chest, taking a second to give him some breaths. He had done this before. Last time Jack woke.

He continued relentlessly.

Unaware of the shots being fired from the rooftops surrounding the café.

Chloe screamed as the gunshot ripped through the air. People were running in chaos anywhere they could, and Chloe felt it was in her best interests to do the same. She stopped, however, when she saw Tony giving CPR to Jack Bauer. Her heart sunk and her eyes flooded with tears before another gunshot rang out through the air. She ducked, ignoring cries from her husband to escape the scene. Looking up, she caught the glimmer of a rifle scope in the morning sun. Then another. And another. They were picking off people one by one. It was only a matter of time until they were next.

"Chloe! Where are you going?" Morris grabbed her arm as she tried to run.

"I have to get Tony," she shrugged him off and sprinted across the tarmac, hands over her head. Closing in on Tony, she spotted a small red laser sight focused on her former-colleague's temple.

"Tony, look out!"

She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled him onto her as she fell onto her back. A shot rang out and a cry echoed from Tony's throat. The bullet had caught him in the arm.

"Tony, we have to move…" Chloe got to her feet and tried to pull her friend up, but Tony was resisting.

"Jack…"

"Tony, we can come back for Jack!" She shouted, well aware of the small window they had to escape. It took around 10 seconds to reload a high calibre rifle such as this. She managed to get him to move as she sprinted across towards the next block, pushing her way through the crowds and into a small alley by the side of a restaurant.

Tony pulled on her grip once more, obviously weak from the blast and from the shot, "Chloe, let me go! There is still time to-"

"He's gone, Tony!" She bellowed at the top of her voice, a stream of tears now cascading down her cheeks.

Tony turned abruptly towards her, their eyes meeting. He looked confused but Chloe could not mistake that look of despair in his blue eyes, as they themselves began to become cloudy with tears.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony dragged the chair around in an arc from one desk to another, ignoring Chloe's flinch as it scraped across the cold stone floor. He tapped on the keyboard's 'Escape' button impatiently, trying to pull the computer out of stand-by mode. His jaw was set tightly as he frowned.

Chloe stood silently in the doorway, her gaze distant, her bloodshot eyes following Tony around the underground 'base' they had set up with Bill all those months ago.

"There is nothing on the FBI watch list just yet…" Tony clicked away aggressively at his keyboard with his good arm, the light from the screen radiating off his face as he rested his injured one on his legs.

"Tony…" Chloe started.

"I'll try and get further into their systems, it shouldn't be too difficult if I-"

"Tony, please."

"What, Chloe?!" Tony looked straight up from the computer, slamming his hand down on the desk in frustration. Chloe hesitated; Tony looked angry and she didn't want to rile him further. She bit the inside of her lip before proceeding with caution.

"Tony this isn't going to do anything."

"What do you mean?" Tony replied slowly, "Why not?"

"We have nothing to go on, the FBI will be tough to crack, you go shot in the arm-"

"Dammit, Chloe, I just want to find the bastards that killed Jack, alright?!"

Tony stood quickly, sending the chair rattling to the floor behind him. He was breathing rapidly, his hands balled into fists beside him. Chloe watched him, frowning, as he staggered backwards towards the closest wall and allowed himself to slide down it.

"Jack, you son of a bitch…" he mumbled as he placed his good hand over one of his eyes. Chloe stepped towards him slowly, crouching down next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We really need to get your arm looked at, Tony," Chloe whispered, "It's still bleeding."

Tony sniffed and wiped his eyes, "It's fine, Chloe. Let me just have a go at finding the FBI protocols," he stood awkwardly, as if embarrassed, "Why don't you go back to Morris and Prescott?"

Chloe smiled slightly and shook her head, "It's ok. I'll stay and help here for a while. I'll go and open up a socket for you…"

* * *

Renee Walker adjusted her sunglasses as she surveyed the chaos that was finally being controlled before her.

Smoke was billowing from the small café as the fire department were finishing controlling the flames. Dozens of agents from the FBI, CIA and Washington police were raking the scene for clues. Health Services and the Ambulance were treating the wounded and gathering the dead. Renee crinkled her nose as she watched the crowds of people collect, eyes drawn to the group of black body bags to the side of the decimated building. She was shocked back into concentration by a rumble and a ringing in her coat pocket.

"Agent Walker, FBI," she answered.

"Renee, what have we got?" Renee recognised the voice as that of Larry Moss.

"3 shooters on the Grand Plaza Hotel, all escaped. No forensic clues or evidence left behind. Shots were fired with military calibre bolt-action sniper rifles. These guys clearly knew what they were doing. CIA are cross-checking any threats similar to this attack as we speak."

"Right…and the explosion?"

"Basic C4 planted around the doorframe of the building, designed to engulf those both inside and outside the building. We have 23 dead, double that injured, many of them children…" she trailed off as she relived the stunning details.

"Jesus… so we have no leads?"

"Negative. We are just trying to gather what clues we can. Will get started on eye witness accounts soon. Have you contacted the President?"

"Yes, she will make a formal statement when I give her an update in 15 minutes. I suppose we can safely assume this is some kind of organised terrorist or crime attack?"

"I think that's the best way to go, yes Larry."

"Alright… well get the teams sorted, finish up there and come back to HQ. We can try and find some potential leads from here. I'll update Janis and get her to set a wide perimeter search of our most recent intel. Have CIA send over anything they find."

"Will do, Larry."

* * *

"I'm going to help Tony with this for a while, alright?"

"_Ok, darling, but are you sure you are ok? I mean, we got caught up in an explosion, fired on, Jack's-"_

"I'm fine, Morris, thank you. Remember to check Prescott's temperature every half an hour and don't forget to pay Claire for looking after him."

"_I won't forget. Just make sure you get home safely, alright? And ring me if you find anything or need any help."_

"I will. You just make sure our son is alright."

Chloe hung up quickly but hesitated before stuffing the phone back in her jacket pocket. She knew Morris would be worried as well as shaken by the events of the last hour, but she still had to be stubborn with him to stop him from getting too over-protective. Shaking off her thoughts, the ex-CTU analyst strolled over to where Tony was working.

"Got anything?"

"I've managed to get past their first security firewalls. I used some of their old passwords from the Starkwood situation as parameters and managed to get into their list of protocols," Tony replied, continuing to click away at the keys with one hand. Chloe smiled slightly at Tony's skill, remembering that before he took charge of CTU, he was just a normal computer analyst.

"Well?"

"They've dispatched a group of teams from all the major departments… FBI, CIA, Police… Bingo!" Tony pointed to the bottom line of the document he was viewing, "FBI headed by Renee Walker. Do you still have your cell?"

Chloe nodded and pulled her cell from her pocked, flicking it open and passing it to Tony.

"She may have changed her number, Tony, you can't guarantee that she will still-"

"Renee!" Tony started as the phone was picked up.

"…pick up," Chloe finished, bemused.

Renee did a double take as she heard the voice at the other end of the line, "Tony?"

"Yah. Listen, I heard…somewhere…that you were heading the FBI team down at the café explosion by the Grand Plaza Hotel?"

"I am…wait, how did you find out I was heading the team?" She crinkled her forehead and brought up her spare hand to her hair as she did when she was thinking.

"That's not important."

"Yes it is, Tony! What are you doing with our protocols?" She waved a police officer away as she raised her voice slightly, "That inter-departmental memo was agency-only, your access expired over a month ago-"

"Look, Renee, enough of the bullshit," Tony raised his voice to meet hers, "Have you seen the bodies yet?"

"What?" Renee did another double-take, "I have, but no official ID's have been made as of yet, why? What's this about?"

Silence.

"Tony, talk to me!"

"I don't believe this…" she heard Tony mumble on the other end of the line, "Renee, are you sure you saw all of them?"

"Positive, Tony. What's-"

"And Jack's wasn't there?"

This time it was Renee's turn to be silent, even if it was just for a moment.

"…Jack's?" She replied meekly, "Why would Jack's body be here? You aren't saying…"

"Myself, along with Chloe and Morris O'Brian, were set to meet Jack outside the café this morning," Tony explained, with a small sigh, "I was around 50 feet from the café when it blew. Jack was right near the epicentre of the blast. He was dead when I got to him. Shots were fired, and we made our escape."

"Oh my god…" Renee felt the lump rise in her throat as Tony's words sunk in, despite her still clinging to some sense of hope, "But…then where's his body? We swept the entire area. I guarantee everyone here will have been accounted for."

"I don't know, Renee, but listen to me. We need everything you have in terms of intel. I'm begging you. I will find the bastards that did this."

"Tony…"

"If you aren't going to give me anything, I'll have to work it out for myself."

"…Alright," she agreed, "but I'll have to run it by Larry first."

"Are you kidding? Moss won't let me have a sniff!"

"I can't just give it to you, Tony. I'm sorry."

"…Fine. Ring me back on this number when you're done."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I'm thinking Title and Summary change… things have sure shifted in season 7 since I started, huh? **

**Why is the 24 fandom so dead… Please review, readers! Show me that people are actually reading this!**

Renee hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket. She bit her lip as she put her hands behind her head.

Jack was caught in the blast? He can't have been… but why would Tony lie?

"Dammit…" she muttered to herself, letting her arms fall. There wasn't much she could do but try to get to the bottom of this attack.

"Agent Walker?" The policeman she had waved away during the phone call approached her with caution.

"What?" Renee replied, rather aggressively.

"I…I was just coming to inform you that the initial forensic sweep has been completed. Those witnesses able to will begin their eyewitness accounts on your orders," he stuttered through his sentences, gulping at Renee's glare.

"Fine. Do it. I need those accounts within the hour."

"Yes, ma'am."

The policeman shuffled away back to his men, leaving Renee pondering her next course of action.

There was only one thing she could really do, as it was the only thing that was dominating her mind. She had to check the bodies.

Striding quickly over to the forensic team, she barked orders at the Agents she outranked to open up every adult body bag so she could see the victim's faces.

"But Agent Walker, don't you think we should wait for positive ID's from the relatives-"

"Just do it, Lonsdale!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Renee took a second to rub her eyes before proceeding quickly and guiltily down the rows of the dead, checking every face and praying she didn't find one she recognised. Upon seeing them all and confident she didn't recognise any of them, she waved her hand to the Agents as if to tell them to zip the bags back up and strolled back past the crowds towards the café.

Good. No Jack. Wait…was that good? That means he's gone missing. Assumed dead. But who would want his body?

"Ronan, please. Stop making a joke out of it, honey, we were very lucky not to be hurt."

"…but Mom, I saw them! The Men in Black! They were here to take the aliens away."

"Ronan! Listen to me! You didn't see anything, stop making these stories up!"

"They took one away. An alien! Two men were carrying him!"

Renee stopped in her tracks as she walked past the ambulances. She turned her head slightly and watched a mother scold her son of around 11 years. He was still insistent. Surely not…?

"Excuse me," Renee walked over to the pair, the mother standing up straight and pulling her son close to her legs. Both of their faces were blackened with dirt, the mother had ripped clothes and the boy had a bandage wrapped round his head. The mother looked at Renee suspiciously.

"I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Agent Walker, I'm from the FBI," she flashed her badge as the mother pulled her son closer, "I was wondering if I could ask a few questions about what you saw?"

"Um…" the mother stuttered, "Agent…Walker, was it? Well, ma'am, myself and my son have been through a lot this morning and-"

"I understand Mrs…?"

"It's Miss, actually. Miss Stokes."

"I understand, Miss Stokes, but we are under orders to take accounts from everyone present at the bombing."

"But the doctor said that, until my son got examined for possible concussion, we didn't have to say anything to the police!"

Renee bit her lip. This woman was being very protective of her son, and it frustrated her.

"Look, Miss Stokes, with all due respect, I am not the police. I am the FBI. The people who did this are a threat to national security and may strike again. I am not prepared to waste time when I know that the people who did this are still at large!" She continued to raise her voice as the woman stared blankly at her, "And it is your son I wish to speak to."

"You want to speak to me?" The young boy looked up innocently, Renee calming slightly. She crouched down in front of the boy.

"Yes, please. What is your name?" She asked quietly.

"Ronan, miss. Ronan Stokes," he replied with a smile.

"Alright, Ronan. Now I overheard you saying something to your mother about aliens, is that right?"

"Yup!" He nodded and smiled, "There were two of the Men in Black, like off the film. They obviously came to take away an alien, that's why you don't know anything about it. The Men in Black are a secret, you see."

"Really?" Renee almost smiled slightly, but was intrigued by the boy, "What did these two men look like? What did they do?"

"Um… I don't really remember… I only saw them for a second…" the boy bit his thumb.

"He didn't see anything. He's just a child," the mother interrupted, "Now, Agent Walker, I would prefer it if you refrained from interrogating my son after what he has been through!"

Renee stood up.

"I am not _interrogating_ your son under any circumstances, ma'am, I am just asking him-"

"I remember what happened!"

The young boy interrupted Renee and her gaze shot down to his. She crouched back down to his level.

"What do you remember, Ronan?"

"The two Men in Black were dressed in black suits. They had sunglasses. Like Agent J and K in the films!"

"Good, do you remember anything else?"

"Yup! People were running, but I fell and bashed my head. Mommy came over to pick me up, I couldn't really see for sure, but two of the Men in Black were carrying an alien away!"

"They were carrying someone?" Renee asked again, carefully, heart racing. I just had to be…

"Uh-huh. But I couldn't see if it was definitely an alien or not, sorry…" the boy drew circles in the ground with his toes.

"…it's alright, Ronan. Thank you for telling me."

* * *

Tony hissed as Chloe tightened the bandage around his forearm.

"Sorry! I hope it's not too tight…I'm not a great first aider," she mumbled quickly.

"It's alright, Chloe," Tony reassured her, flexing his elbow tentatively, grimacing at the pain, "The tighter it is, the better. I'll get it checked out when we have the time."

"If you say so…" Chloe took a seat next to Tony at the desk. The FBI protocols had not updated and they were still waiting to hear from Renee. Chloe closed her eyes and let her head hang forwards. It was still morning, yet the emotional trauma of the last couple of hours was really starting to come down on her. She hadn't even had proper time to mourn.

"It's going to be alright you know," Tony told her, watching her carefully, "We are going to find them."

"Mhmmm…" Chloe mumbled. She brought her hands up to her eyes and rested her elbows on her knees, "First Bill, now Jack… there aren't going to be any of us left soon."

"Come on, Chloe… don't do this now," Tony leaned forward although Chloe didn't move, "We have lost more friends and colleagues than any normal person should have, but I have finally come to realise that these losses should be used to spur us on, not slow us down."

Chloe didn't reply, but sniffed back the tears.

"I learnt this lesson from Jack. I lost Michelle and I was angry. It made me show a side of me that must never surface again. Jack lost Terri and eventually learnt to get on with his life. Heck, he even lost Kim. Now I don't know about you, but I'm going to be exerting my efforts into finding these bastards before it's too late. You still have your family and you still have me. My friends are all I've got, so don't you be giving up on me now. While there is something for me to cling on, I'm not going to give up hope."

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish I was, Larry," Renee replied, sadly, "All I know is the presumed dead Jack Bauer has gone missing from the scene…"

"No way…Never thought Jack would go out like-"

"Larry…"

"I mean, the man's one of the best-"

"Please, Larry!"

"Sorry, Renee. I'll get Janis to check the recent intel for any chatter about Bauer. Don't kill me for asking this, but are we sure Tony is telling the truth?"

"What do you mean?" Renee raised her eyebrows suspiciously as she talked down the phone.

"What I'm trying to say is…" Larry hesitated, "Well, it's like this… how come Tony and Chloe didn't stick around? They bolted before the authorities arrived. They didn't even stick around for Jack's body."

"You aren't suggesting…"

"I'm just saying that Almeida isn't exactly one you should take at face value, that's all."

"They were being fired at, Larry!"

"I'm just saying…"

"Fine," Renee made a mental note not to discuss Tony further with her boss, "I'll finish up with the accounts and find out if anyone else saw these suited men."

"You aren't seriously following up on a lead from a child, are you?"

"It's all we have. I'll call you when I'm done"

"Renee, by the sounds of it, even if the boy was right Jack's chances aren't good. He should be your second priority, now. Remember what your job is and don't let Bauer get in the way."

"…Goodbye, Larry."

**A/N Plot will move forward next chapter, promise!**

**Please Review! =]**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Hey guys. Change of plan of epic proportions. This is no longer a 'day' fic. See new summary for details!**

**Obviously, given the most recent episode's spoiler (yes, I got a week ahead!), this story is totally illogical. But meh! =D**

**Thanks to _Phoenix Falconer _and _Melodic_ for reviewing!**

"So you're saying that Jack's body may have been removed from the scene?" Tony asked carefully.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Renee replied with a sigh.

"That can't be a coincidence. There's more to this than a case of us being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Jack was a target," Tony continued, heart racing. His stomach churned when Renee told him what she knew. Someone wanted Jack… did they want him alive? "Has any group claimed the attack?"

"Negative. We have no leads either other than these 'Men in Black'. The trail has run cold."

"Right… Renee I need that intel. What did Moss say?" Tony asked expectantly.

"You won't get anything from him, Tony. Larry won't budge."

"Son of a bitch…"

"There's not much I can do, Tony. He doesn't trust you," Renee apologised, "He's suspicious as to why you didn't remain at the scene."

"We were angry!" Tony practically shouted in reply, "Heck, Renee, we'd just seen our best friend get blown up in front of us, I got shot in the arm-"

"You got shot in the arm?" She interrupted, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. People need to stop asking me that…" Tony shifted uncomfortably where he stood, "What do we need to do to get access to your intel?"

"I'm not sure we can get you access, Tony."

"Tony…" Chloe poked him slightly on the arm, a poke Tony completely ignored.

"Why the hell not?" he continued, "If it wasn't for us he would have never taken down Starkwood! He owes us. And he especially owes Jack."

"Tony!" Chloe poked him harder this time.

"What, Chloe!?" Tony turned quickly, pulling the phone down from his ear momentarily.

"Put the phone on loudspeaker," she replied calmly. He shot her a confused look, "Just do it!"

Tony obliged and Chloe snatched the phone from his hand.

"Renee, it's Chloe…" she started, "What if one of us came into FBI and gave a witness account?"

"No way," Tony interrupted, waving his hand across his chest, "Moss will draw all sorts of assumptions from us and we will never be able to get anything done before these assholes leave the country."

"Renee…?" Chloe ignored Tony. Renee pondered the question.

"…Perhaps. I might be able to get you level 1 or 2 access if you give us an account."

"But we can't afford to waste our time like this, Chloe!" Tony protested. Chloe gave him a blank look.

"I'll send Morris," she replied calmly, "Would that be sufficient, Renee?"

"I suppose so, yes. I'll phone ahead to HQ and get Janis to take this personally."

"Thanks. He will be bringing my son with him. Prescott's not very well, but I'm sure that won't be a problem, right?"

"Shouldn't be, no," Renee replied, feeling more encouraged on her end of the phone, "I'll see what I can do."

Chloe handed the phone back to Tony and brushed past him, taking a seat on one of the chairs and staring blankly into the middle distance. Tony watched her with a frown, took the phone off loudspeaker and put it back to his ear.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Tony asked quietly.

"No," came the truthful reply, "but I want to know what happened to Jack as much as you do. Personally, I can't see Larry giving two shits about why his body was taken, he's much too preoccupied with keeping the President happy. I'll get what I can out to you guys, I'd wager you have a better chance of finding a lead than we do."

"Alright…thanks, Renee."

* * *

"Please tell me you have a lead, Agent Moss."

"I'm sorry, Madam President, but I can't," Larry explained slowly down the phone, giving one of his analysts a look that could kill as they tried to interrupt his conversation, "all we have is an eyewitness account that doesn't stack up against the rest."

"Agent Moss, this is Ethan Kanin. That sounds to me that you do have a lead," The recently restored Secretary of Stare interrupted, leaning over the desk slightly to ensure he was heard.

"I would agree with you, sir, if the account hadn't have come from an 11 year old boy," Larry replied.

Larry's comment was received in silence, before President Taylor spoke up.

"What did the boy say, Agent Moss?"

Larry frowned and ran a hand through his hair. How should he go about this? Should he tell her about Jack? He audibly sighed.

"Agent Moss? Are you still there?"

"Yes, Madam President," Larry hesitated, but decided he wasn't going to withhold information from the President of the United States, "The young boy told one of my Agents that he saw two men, whom he described to look like the 'Men in Black' from the film, carrying another person away. He didn't get a description of the person they carried away. All witness accounts have been completed, and he is the only person to have mentioned these suited men. The boy suffered minor concussion in the explosion."

"Sounds to me like this is just the product of an over-active imagination and concussion, Agent Moss," replied Ethan.

"Yes, sir, it does."

Silence once again washed over both sides of the phone call as all parties took a second to think. Larry cleared his throat awkwardly, he still felt a little pressurised when on the phone with the White House.

"You are holding out on me, Agent Moss," he heard the President say calmly, "You know more than you've told us, don't you?"

"I do, Madam President," Larry conceded. He heard Ethan make a disapproving noise on the other end of the phone, "It is not an official lead. It is pure conjecture from a small group of individuals."

"Conjecture, you say?" The President replied, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Spit it out, Agent Moss," Ethan demanded, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the Oval Office.

"Of course, sir," Larry started slowly, "Madam President, approximately one hour after the attack took place, the ranking FBI officer received a private call on her cell from Tony Almeida."

"Almeida…?" the President mumbled, "Which Agent received the call?"

"Renee Walker, ma'am," he replied immediately, "the two know each other from the Starkwood incident."

"I remember, please continue."

"Somehow Almeida had managed to hack through our outer firewall using a username and password decoder with parameters corresponding so some old access codes he used during the Starkwood incident. It was some skilled work, and he managed to get access to the most recent inter-agency protocols."

"That's not good enough, Agent Moss!" Ethan burst out, getting more and more concerned by the second. Tony Almeida? He was supposed to be keeping under the radar…

"I appreciate that, sir, but Almeida getting into our system is not our top priority as we speak," Larry tried not to sound confrontational.

"Of course," President Taylor replied, "What did Mr. Almeida say?"

Larry bit his lip. He may as well just get it out in the open…

"Almeida saw that Ren…Agent Walker was heading the FBI team at the investigation. He called her personally asking for some intel."

"Intel? Of what sort?"

"He asked Agent Walker to personally check the bodies of the dead, to see if she recognised any."

President Taylor and Ethan Kanin remained silent, aware that Larry would continue if they did so.

"Ma'am, Tony Almeida had reason to believe that Jack Bauer was caught in the blast and should be among the dead."

President Taylor sat down slowly and Ethan ran a hand through his hair.

"Bauer…" he mumbled, "Wait a second, Agent Moss, why would Almeida ask Agent Walker to see the body?"

"Sir, Tony Almeida claims to have been at the café when the bomb went off, along with Chloe O'Brian and her husband. He said he confirmed Bauer dead at the scene before any shots were fired. Agent Walker worked very closely with Jack Bauer during the Starkwood incident. I can only assume he was wondering why she did not react to Bauer's supposed death when he called. His suspicions were confirmed when Agent Walker did not ID Bauer's body at the scene."

"I see," Ethan replied, "Are you suggesting that the person the boy may have seen being dragged away could well have been the body of Jack Bauer?"

"It could be that, sir," Larry replied, "Although I am hesitant to apply any major manpower in trying to investigate that possibility, especially so soon after the incident itself. The men in question would have to be briefed on Bauer; many still associate the name with a fugitive and we don't even know if he is alive or not. My suggestion would be to stick it out and see if any other threads surface themselves. If Bauer was of some importance, then I can only assume that his name will resurface itself given time. Until then, the FBI will continue their initial sweep of the surrounding area and allow forensics to work up some leads and deal with the immediate aftermath of the incident."

"I agree, Agent Moss," Ethan replied, "Are there any objections, Madam President?"

"…None," President Taylor replied after a moment's hesitation, "I want real-time updates from the FBI, Agent Moss. If anything emerges surrounding Mr. Bauer, I wish to hear from you personally and immediately, is that understood?"

"Absolutely, Madam President, I will update you as we learn more."

"See that you do."

The line went dead and Allison Taylor rubbed her temples with her fingers.

"Something's funny about this Bauer situation, Ethan. I can just feel it."

* * *

Tony rubbed his eyes. It had been around 4 hours since the explosion. Renee hadn't got back to him, but Morris and Prescott had headed down to FBI. He hoped that this would be enough for Moss so he got the access he wanted.

"Anything from Renee yet?" Chloe shuffled in. She kicked her shoes off and sat on her desk chair, sipping a hot cup of coffee as she did so. She held out a second to Tony, who brushed his hand to the side to indicate he didn't want it.

"Nothing," he replied, readjusting the position of his shoulder so he was comfortable.

"That sucks," commented Chloe. Tony looked over at her out of the corner of his eye. She'd been gone for perhaps half an hour, as soon as she got confirmation of Morris's safe arrival at the FBI. Her eyes were bloodshot; Tony could only assume she'd been walking the streets for a while. Perhaps she had to get away from it all. He didn't mind. They were both feeling like this. Both of them had an unspoken relationship with Jack, it was professional but almost family-like at times. She sniffed loudly as Tony continued to watch her.

"You ok?" He asked quietly. She nodded briefly, not looking up. Tony continued, "Hopefully Morris's testimony will be enough to get us access. We can help them get to the bottom of it, no matter how long it takes. Morris doesn't have much to say, so it shouldn't take long before he is back at home with Prescott and-"

"No." Came the interruption.

Tony didn't answer, giving Chloe the cue to continue.

"He's not going back. I've told him and Prescott to stay at FBI for the rest of the day."

"…This is about Jack isn't it?" Tony replied after a hesitation.

"Come on, Tony, think about it!" She looked up quickly, cheeks flushed red, "The café gets taken out, Jack's body is taken, they use snipers to stop anyone interfering, you were aimed at!"

"They weren't necessarily aiming at me…"

"Of course they were!" Chloe was practically shouting now, "If they wanted to kill you, they could have done. Instead, the only gun with laser sight was shone on your temple for a few seconds. They knew I would try and pull you away. They put a bullet in your arm, not intending you to be fatally wounded. They don't pursue us. It's obvious this was personal to Jack. They wanted us alive for some reason. And I for one am not going to let my family be in danger. Morris stays at the FBI with Prescott."

Chloe's gaze shifted back to her feet when she stopped abruptly. Tony gaped at her, trying to process her logic.

"You've thought too hard about this Chloe," he replied, "Why would they want us alive? Why-"

"I've not thought to hard about this. I don't feel safe."

"You don't have to stay here-"

"Shut up and check the protocols Tony," came the quick reply.

Tony couldn't help but laugh as he turned back to his computer screen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small smile stretch across the face of his friend before he focused all his efforts on reaching the new protocols.

"Nothing new," he confirmed, "FBI sweep continues… forensic results to come through in the next hour…"

BEEP!

"Whoa!" Tony flinched as a new memo flashed across the screen. Chloe looked up quickly.

"There's been another attack!"

"What?" Chloe exclaimed, before getting up and striding over to Tony's side.

"A bomb. Down at the mall. All main units are being redirected that way."

"Could it be connected?"

"It's got to be," Tony shrugged, "I'll see what else I can get. We need to phone Renee…"


End file.
